Two admit attempted murder of Jie Yu

TWO men have admitted attempting to murder a restaurant owner who was stabbed outside his business.

Gary Reid, 19, and James Hogg, 24, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Jie Yu in West Pilton Park on Wednesday, October 1, 2014.

Hogg admitted attempted murder, while Reid pleaded guilty to attempted murder with racial aggravation at the High Court in Glasgow.

Jie Yu, who runs the Peking Garden takeaway in West Pilton, was treated in intensive care at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after the assault.

The father-of-three spent a week in St John’s Hospital in Livingston for operations on hand and chest wounds.

Detective Inspector David Pinkney said: “This was a brutal attack on a well liked and regarded member of the West Pilton community.

“Officers worked quickly in order to bring Reid and Hogg to justice for their crimes. Now that Gary Reid and James Hogg have pleaded guilty, I hope Jie and his family can move on from this ordeal.”

Community Inspector David Happs said: “This was an incident that shocked residents in the West Pilton community and led to the launching of Stronger North.

“This is an ongoing initiative, which has seen positive changes in the local area. While there is still work to do, we are committed to working with our partners to create and maintain a better community for the people of North Edinburgh.”